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Court rejects expulsion of police officers convicted of torture

CAIRO: Cairo’s administrative court rejected a case brought by lawyers seeking the expulsion from the police force of two officers convicted of sexually abusing and torturing a man in their custody. Lawyer Taher Abul Nasr, one of the lawyers who brought the case explained that it was rejected because the Administrative Court found that the …

CAIRO: Cairo’s administrative court rejected a case brought by lawyers seeking the expulsion from the police force of two officers convicted of sexually abusing and torturing a man in their custody.

Lawyer Taher Abul Nasr, one of the lawyers who brought the case explained that it was rejected because the Administrative Court found that the plaintiffs did not have legal standing, or sufficient interest in the case, to bring it.

“We entirely reject this argument because anyone should be able to raise a case which concerns the relationship between the state and the citizen, Abul Nasr explained, adding that they plan to bring another case within 60 days – as required by the law – in which they will argue this position.

The court did not enter into an examination of the substantive elements of the case, Abul Nasr said.

In 2007 Islam Nabih and Reda Fathy were sentenced to three years imprisonment after a mobile phone video of them sodomizing bus driver Emad El-Kebeer circulated on the internet.

After serving three quarters of their sentence they were released in March last year.

According to Abul Nasr both men returned to the police service after their release and are now working in Assiut. They remain in the same rank they occupied prior to their convictions.

Abul Nasr explained that Nabih and Fathy were allowed to return to police service because there is nothing in the Police Law preventing this.

“The interior ministry is only obliged to expel a police officer from the service permanently if a court rules as such – otherwise the law leaves it to the discretion of the interior ministry, Abul Nasr said.